Move To Bus Terminals Or Be Shut Down – FCTA Tells Transport Operators

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has directed commercial transport operators using illegal motor parks and roadside loading points across Abuja to relocate to designated bus terminals or face enforcement action.

The warning was issued on Thursday by the Mandate Secretary of the FCTA Transportation Secretariat, Chinedum Elechi, during a press briefing in Abuja. He said the administration would shut down all unauthorised loading points and impound vehicles belonging to operators who fail to comply.

Elechi recalled that the FCTA had earlier instructed transport operators to begin using the ultra-modern bus terminals, starting with the facility in Mabushi, as part of efforts to improve public transportation in the Federal Capital Territory.

He explained that the exercise follows a directive from the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, aimed at restoring order, improving security and creating a more organised transport system in the nation’s capital.

According to him, the FCTA has invested billions of naira in the construction of modern bus terminals in Mabushi, Kugbo and the Central Business District (CBD), describing them as the first facilities of their kind in the FCT’s 50-year history.

Elechi said concentrating transport activities within approved terminals would not only improve the city’s appearance and support tourism but also help reduce crime by eliminating illegal roadside operations.

He added that the move is expected to tackle crimes such as the notorious “one chance” robberies, as well as drug trafficking and the movement of illegal weapons.

The mandate secretary disclosed that a recent enforcement exercise led to the seizure of several vehicles, during which security officials allegedly recovered illegal items from some of the impounded vehicles.

To ensure efficient operation of the new terminals, he said the FCTA has entered into a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with private firms, including Planet Projects.

Elechi dismissed claims that the administration was trying to deprive transport operators of their means of livelihood, explaining that the objective was to relocate them from unsafe roadside locations to secure and properly equipped terminals.

He also expressed concern that many operators had failed to honour previous commitments after their vehicles were released following earlier enforcement exercises, noting that they quickly returned to illegal loading points.

The mandate secretary warned that the Transport Secretariat has the legal backing of Order 1 and the FCT Transportation Regulations 2023 to regulate transport operations, license operators, seal illegal parks and confiscate vehicles that violate the law.

He said the administration would strictly enforce the regulations, adding that owners of private properties converted into illegal motor parks would also face sanctions. He maintained that the FCTA, with the support of the FCT Minister and the Presidency, would continue enforcing a zero-tolerance policy against illegal transport operations across Abuja.